Five Minutes to Midnight
by efficacious humorosity
Summary: LJ. 1977. New Year's Eve. Lily is having a crappy time and not enjoying the party in the Hog's Head that Hogwarts students are forbidden to attend. Can James help her enjoy the last night of the year? Rated for slight language. One shot.


**A/N: Here's a little New Year's fic for ya. I don't own Harry Potter and I don't own "Five Minutes to Midnight", Boys Like Girls does. Enjoy and please leave a review for me! **

"Five Minutes to Midnight"

_Brown eyes and lungs are filled up with smoke_

_Fast lives are stuck in the undertow_

_But you know the places I wanna go_

_Cause oh oh oh_

_I've got a sickness, you've got the cure_

_You've got the spark I've been lookin' for_

_And I've got a plan, we walk out the door _

If you had told Lily Evans on December 30, 1977 that she would spent New Year's Eve the following day with James Potter, she would've laughed in your face. However, somehow her so called "friends" (Alice and Mary) had persuaded her to spend the last night of the year with the Marauders. In the Hog's Head. In Hogsmeade. Where they weren't allowed to be. She sat in the corner, a grimace etched on her beautiful feature. Her red hair was tied back in a bun and her emerald green eyes looked uptight and anxious.

Upon seeing this, Alice sidled over to her, looking concerned. "Are you okay, Lils?"

"I'm fine, thanks, Alice," she replied tightly.

"Really?" the blonde said disbelievingly. "Because you look like you're having a shitty time."

"I am."

"Why?" Alice asked. "There's a party going on, Lils! It's the last New Year's we'll ever spend at Hogwarts! Enjoy it, would you?"

"I doubt that's possible," Lily muttered under her breath as Alice returned to the dance floor, losing herself in the most pit of teenagers and young adults.

_You know you wanna_

_Just let go_

_It's time to roll down the windows_

_Sing it oh oh_

_Yeah all we need so here we go _

"Lily… are you okay?"

Lily looked up. She had buried her head in her arms around twenty minutes ago, her head throbbing from the loud music and feeling bored out of her head. She found herself face to face with James Potter, a concerned expression etched across his painfully handsome features. "I'm fine, James, thanks," she said, flashing him a small smile. Ever since they had shared Head duties during their seventh year, they had become friends. Every now and again… she felt that he was more than just that…

"Don't lie to me, Lilykins," he told her, sliding into the booth opposite her. "I know you better than that. And I don't want your New Year's Eve to be shit." He couldn't help but notice that she looked more beautiful than ever in the flashing of the strobe lights.

"I don't know, James. I just don't feel comfortable here, knowing that we're supposed to be in the castle…" she admitted. He chuckled and she glared at him murderously. "What's so funny, Potter?"

"You've taught me lots of things," he told her, reaching across the table to grasp the tie holding her hair up in a bun and pulling it, letting loose the cascades of fiery red locks. "But now it's my turn to teach you something."

She sucked in a sharp breath. There was another of those "more than friends" moments. "What are you going to teach me, Mr. Potter?"

He flashed her a wide, crooked grin. "How to let go and just _have fun_."

_Turn it up_

_It's five minutes to midnight_

_You're coming home with me tonight_

_I can't get enough_

_Shakin' me up_

_Turn it up_

_Alright, at five minutes to midnight_

_We'll see our name in city lights_

_We'll make the clock stop_

_Make your heart drop and come alive_

James grabbed Lily's hand, sending jolts of electricity up and down both their arms. He dragged her onto the dance floor. "Come on, Lily," he wheedled. "Dance with me."

"All right," she chuckled. And she began to dance.

James found himself in some sort of trance as he watched her dance to the beat, her body moving about in perfect synch. He shook his head, knowing that I was probably best not to make a move on her now. Not yet. It wasn't right. He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Do you want a drink?"

She grinned widely at him. "Sure."

_We could_

_Pack up and leave all our things behind_

_No fact or fiction or storyline_

_Cause I need you more than just for tonight_

_You're oh oh oh like air_

_I can't stop my breathing in_

_I'm weak and you were my medicine_

_I won't stop till I am under your skin_

"Thanks," she said, when he returned and handed her a glass of firewhiskey. She downed about half the glass in about one gulp.

"Whoa," he laughed, putting a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Slow down there, O Your Drunkness."

"Relax, James," she assured him, "I've had firewhiskey plenty of times before. I can hold about twelve glassed before I actually get drunk."

"Impressive," he said, waggling his eyebrows at her. "May I see you prove it?"

"I don't plan on getting stoned tonight, James," she laughed. She looked at him thoughtfully. "Have you ever wanted to just… leave it all behind? All the worries… and just run off with someone you love? To be alone?"

"Yeah, I have," he replied. "With you. Lily, I know I haven't asked you out at all this year, but I still… I love you. Being with you is as natural as breathing. And you might call me a persistent prick, but… I'm not going to stop until I'm yours. And I'm the only one."

_You know you wanna_

_Just let go_

_It's time to roll down the windows_

_Sing it oh oh_

_Yeah all we need so here we go_

_Turn it up_

_It's five minutes to midnight_

_You're coming home with me tonight_

_I can't get enough_

_Shakin' me up_

_Turn it up_

_Alright, at five minutes to midnight_

_We'll see our name in city lights_

_We'll make the clock stop_

_Make your heart drop and come alive_

"James… I feel the same way," she admitted. "But-"

_And when the clock strikes twelve_

_Will you find another boy to go and kiss and tell?_

_Cause you know I never will_

_I think we should strike a match_

_We'll hold it to the wind to and see how long it lasts_

_We can make the time stand still_

"Lily, don't mess with me," he said, holding up his hand, feeling a bit of frustration. "I've spent seven years trying to get you to go out with me, and I really don't need you to mess with my head."

"But-"

"But nothing," he said. "I don't need you to tell me that you fancy me (or love me, even) and then run off at midnight to kiss another bloke. I'd never do that to you… I really think _we_ should try being an _us_. I think… I think that we could actually last. Being with you… for me, it's like making time stand still. I love you." And with that he left her.

_Turn it up_

_It's five minutes to midnight_

_You're coming home with me tonight_

_I can't get enough_

_Shakin' me up_

_Turn it up_

_Alright, at five minutes to midnight_

_We'll see our name in city lights_

_We'll make the clock stop_

_Make your heart drop and come alive_

_Turn it up_

_It's five minutes to midnight_

_You're coming home with me tonight_

_I can't get enough_

_Shakin' me up_

_Turn it up_

_Alright, at five minutes to midnight_

_We'll see our name in city lights_

_We'll make the clock stop_

_Make your heart drop and come alive_

"It's thirty seconds to midnight everyone!" called the emcee. "Let's begin the countdown… Thirty… Twenty- nine… twenty- eight…"

Lily Evans had made up her mind. She had to find James Potter. "James! James!" she called, as she pushed and elbowed her way through the mosh pit on the dance floor. "James!" She spotted Sirius and rushed over to him. "Have you seen James?"

"Sorry, Lily, no," he replied, shaking his head.

"Damn it!" she screeched rather loudly.

"Nineteen… Eighteen… Seventeen… Sixteen…"

"Alice! Have you seen James?" Lily asked, grabbing her friend's shoulders in desperation.

"Yeah, he was heading for the door a couple minutes ago," Alice answered. "He seemed pretty down. Is he all right?"

Lily ignored Alice's question as she ran for the door.

Nine… Eight… Seven… Six…

"James!" Lily exclaimed.

He saw her and a pained expression crossed his features. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

She bravely strode up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. A delighted, hopeful expression crossed his face.

"Three… two… one… HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"

Even outside, the chanting of the crowd was extremely audible as Lily pressed her lips to his, her tongue sliding into his mouth for a brief moment before she pulled away James. "James… I love you. Happy new year."


End file.
